Guilt!
by Rubytronix
Summary: The Three Times Philip Left Connor to Die. You know what- in the end Philip wasn't such a bad guy. This story is dedicated to Philip, who died 'trying to do the right thing.' This is his story- please give him the opportunity to repent by reading.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else._

_Set during Series 5 Episode 6- Realisation hits Philip- New Dawn will destroy the world. Philip locks himself in the lab to try a last minute attempt to stop it from happening._

_Quite a short chapter, but it sets the scene and I hope you enjoy it. Please review if you do!_

**Guilt!**

The Three Times Philip left Connor to die…

**Chapter One-** Alone With Death

Philip stood alone in the lab of the Power Station, which was once full of hustle and bustle and people milling around. The robotic sound of a woman's voice echoed out, repeating a warning over and over again- the last voice he would ever hear.

He looked around at the orange lights through the windows in the doors and on the walls. They glowed eerily through the smoke and debris, Sparks sprayed around him now and again as he stood there- his last moments alive.

"_emergency...emergency..._" droned on the computerised voice.

He opened his laptop with difficulty, and quickly typed an urgent email, sending two copies of his last words to the two last people he would ever communicate with. Funny to think they'd read his words after he was gone- at least a bit of him would remain alive, even if it was just words on a computer. He looked around again, and as he punched 'enter' on his silver laptop, the woman continued her deadly chant, calmly, emotionlessly…

"_emergency...emergency..._"

The aluminium steel shelving started buckling as he stood there alone. Suddenly, the room was plunged into darkness for a moment, smoke stinging his eyes. 'What had he done?' he thought in those last moments- 'what had Helen done? Why had she done this- what could she have hoped to gain from it all?' He didn't understand. He held his head in his hands, dropping the laptop onto the table in front of him- just wanting a little longer before activating the destruct sequence.

These last moments seemed like they were being played out in slow motion and as rumour had it, he could actually see his life flash before his eyes- a good life until he got involved with Helen Cutter. At least he was doing the right thing now- even if it did mean he would lose his life- what did he have left to live for anyway? He'd long ago lost the respect and loyalty of his co-workers. He didn't even know where April had gone to. Had she run away too, like the rest of them? He had been big- huge in the world of science, and his name was famous and renowned throughout the world. He had been going to be knighted for his work…and now…all that was left was this crumbling shell with the voice droning on and on as his only companion.

"_primary reactor overload…" s_he informed him.

He wandered around the room in a trance, working up the last semblance of courage to press the buttons that would wipe out this building and him forever. He knew now that he had let everyone down. And Connor…Connor who believed in him so passionately- so full of belief and trust in him, where was he now? He hoped Connor had got out alive, the boy had been something of an irritant to him, but he had been truly brilliant in his work. Philip knew he'd used Connor for his own means- no Helen's means! Philip hoped Connor would recover from his duplicity and be able to trust again!

"How could I have treated that boy like that?" he thought "What have I become?" He once again put his head in his hands- sparks of electricity shooting all around him as he stood in the middle of the room.

"He trusted me, and I let him down! I nearly _killed_ him! Matt was right, I didn't really care about him- just about what he could do for me". He paused and thought for a moment, remembering the first time he let Connor down and left him to die- New Dawn had been more important to Philip than the boy- he felt guilty and ashamed as he remembered what happened…

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else._

_Set during Series 5 Episode 6- Realisation hits Philip- New Dawn will destroy the world. Philip locks himself in the lab to try a last minute attempt to stop it from happening._

_This chapter ties in with Series 5 episode 4. I added the reference to the animals and Rex especially for the anonymous reviewer- thank you so much for your review! I really appreciate it._

**Guilt!**

The Three Times Philip left Connor to die…

**Chapter Two-** Beetle Incursion

_**Previously…**"He trusted me, and I let him down! I nearly killed him! Matt was right, I didn't really care about him- just about what he could do for me". He paused and thought for a moment, remembering the first time he let Connor down and left him to die- New Dawn had been more important to Philip than the boy- he felt guilty and ashamed as he remembered what happened…_

Philip thought back to the day Connor had his major breakthrough and created the first man-made anomaly….

_*Flashback*_

..….Even then, Connor had been unsure of himself, and as Philip stood in Connor's lab waiting to see the anomaly in action, Connor nervously said "It…it worked once- obviously this is still a prototype- there's bound to be a few glitches…false starts" He looked at Philip with those trusting, loyal puppy dog eyes, and it almost appeared to Philip that he was pleading for his approval. Philip decided that to keep Connor working and focussed, he would have to humour the boy and give him all the encouragement he so badly needed.

"Never apologise for your work" he said "You've earned your stripes. If this works, we'll be making history!" He found it irritating the way the boy was so incredibly nervous and unsure of himself. He just wanted him to be ready- they _had_ to be ready when the time came. Connor fired up the anomaly and Philip was thrilled to see it working- he'd done it! They were on their way to creating New Dawn- Philip and Helen's dream!

Philip went into the adjoining room to talk to April in private on the telephone, and was only gone for a matter of minutes when he heard raised voices in Connor's lab. He walked slowly back into the room to hear Matt demand that Connor lock the anomaly. He was furious that Matt had used his position as Connor's team leader to insist he open the door to the lab- how dare he come barging in here with that victorian woman, and if that wasn't bad enough he'd also brought Connor's oh so clever little girlfriend with him to interfere with Philip's plans! As he entered, he noticed that Connor was definitely weakening under their disapproval.

'That girl has too much influence over Connor' Philip thought to himself 'April needs to work harder to keep him focussed and draw him away from her!' He remembered when Abby had been so upset about Philip's plans to have the creatures 'put down'. He'd only been trying to come up with a means to save money- _his money_! After all, they couldn't guarantee all the creatures could be sent back to their correct eras, and her pet- Rex, was it? That creature had nearly got him killed, and Connor had seemed more worried about Abby being in a 'bad mood' than saving his life! No, the girl was a liability and stopped Connor from concentrating. He must work on how to deal with that!

As he stepped further into the room, and went to stand by Connor's side, he stood as tall as he could and confronted Matt and the others. He had bought a share in the ARC when the government decided it should be in partnership with a private company, and as such he asserted all his authority in the face of their aggression, and said that this was the property of Prospero, and that they had no right coming into the room making demands. Connor was again desperately seeking their approval… telling them- no pleading with them- to see that he knew what he was doing. No wonder he had looked towards Philip for a mentor, these people didn't seem to realise what a truly brilliant brain this boy had! They just ridiculed him and made him feel he wasn't appreciated. Philip insisted they leave immediately, and to Philips surprise, Matt seemed to suddenly see sense and even apologised. Philip felt nothing but anger when he noticed how Connor's eyes followed that girl as she left the room, after glaring daggers at him.

He had to get back to the Power Station- April wanted him to look at the data they were receiving from Connor's prototype, but he was worried about leaving Connor there alone. He couldn't risk him weakening and closing the anomaly before he'd captured all the data. Philip decided to leave the guard with Connor, and after instructing the soldier not to let anyone in, he left Connor to his work and eagerly left to get back to the labs to monitor the computers and the readings that were coming through…..

_*flashback end*_

…..Philip shivered as he stood alone in the last room he would ever be in. Remembering April had made him wonder again what had happened to her. Although she hadn't come back to help him, he hoped she'd got out OK. She was the one person in all this mess he really did care about. Sure, he'd fallen for Helen's sweet talk, but he hadn't really had 'feelings' towards her- it was just business between them. He and April now- there was that 'spark' between them and the shared devotion to New Dawn….

As Philip remembered his next actions, he felt shame wash over him- he couldn't believe how he had treated Connor. He just wished he had done things differently- all he'd wanted to do was save the world's energy crisis, and OK, maybe receive kudos for doing so. Was that such a bad thing? He shook his head and groaned aloud as he remembered, forgetting for the moment about the voice continually repeating the words

" _emergency…emergency…emergency…" _and not even noticing the debris falling down all around him as in those last few moments of his life, he remembered all his wrong doings and wished with all his heart that things had been different…

_*flashback*_

Philip hurried back to the Power Station as fast as he could to check the readings. He was so excited that they were now so close to their goal. He checked the computers with April, and they watched the data pour in from the little anomaly in Connor's lab, smiling in triumph at each other.

Suddenly, the readings began to fluctuate and get weaker. Philip couldn't understand what had happened! He called Connor, but Connor seemed just to fob him off, and said he'd call back later. What was going on? Philip really hoped there wasn't anything wrong with the anomaly- they needed more time! He hoped Matt or Abby hadn't come back and interfered again. The data feed suddenly stopped coming through altogether. Philip and April looked at each other in horror.

"No!" he cried "April- quickly, check on the data at the ARC- see if anything's interfering with the anomaly"

April went to check, and came rushing back to Philip "Philip! There's a problem at the ARC! They've gone into lockdown!"

Philip immediately picked up his phone and called Connor. "What the hell is going on there?" he yelled angrily "Why have we lost the data feed to the anomaly?"

Connor's voice sounded worried as he told Philip that the ARC had gone into lockdown- there'd been a serious incursion of prehistoric beetles. Philip replied angrily that he knew that because the bio-scan had been triggered

"But" he shouted down the phone "that doesn't explain what's happened to the feed!" All he cared about was New Dawn! He actually felt more frustrated than angry, really. He _needed_ that data or New Dawn wouldn't be ready. What _was_ Connor playing at!

"Philip!" Connor replied, sounding really agitated now and a little out of control "We had to lock the anomaly. The guard you left here's been killed! Jess got bitten and she's in a really bad way…"

Philip wasn't really concerned about all this. "Connor, Connor" he said placatingly "I know things are difficult right now, but I really need you to unlock that anomaly..."

To Philip's utter amazement, Connor finally showed some back bone and snapped back at him... "Did you not hear what I just said!"

Philip was about to angrily reply, but Connor continued to speak, cutting him off mid sentence- telling him that the beetles had managed to tunnel their way out of the lab. Philip was dumbstruck! They'd burrowed their way through reinforced concrete! That was incredible- but still didn't alter the fact he wanted that data feed reopened NOW! Suddenly the phone in Philip's hand went dead. Had Connor actually dared to hang up on him! Philip turned furiously to April and told her the lockdown mustn't be lifted under any circumstances whatsoever without his say- so.

"Philip," April said "There's electricity problems in 80% of the ARC, now!" As her words sunk in, Philip was horrified. This could mean plague! He couldn't risk New Dawn. Nothing must stand in the way- not now- not ever! April looked deep into Philip's eyes, her blonde hair softly blowing in the breeze around her face- her 'nerd' disguise long since discarded. She looked truly beautiful to him and as their eyes locked, she said slowly, pointedly…

"There's one decisive way of dealing with the threat. What you're doing here- it's going to change the whole planet. If it comes to it, isn't that worth the sacrifice?"

As Philip digested her words, he realised she was right- there was only one solution! As he thought about her words and what he was about to do, his phone suddenly rang again- it was Connor again. Connor said that they needed to get Jess to hospital right away, obviously wanting Philip to lift the lockdown. He couldn't do that! He hardened his heart and without hesitation replied to Connor….

"I'm afraid that's impossible, we can't afford to breach the integrity of the ARC." As soon as the words left his mouth, that girl- the one Connor was far too interested in interrupted, and yelled at him that Jess could die! Philip was sorry about Jess, he really was, but he excused his actions by saying that if those creatures got out thousands could die. The clever annoying girl had cottoned on immediately to what he was saying and asked bluntly if he was just going to leave them there! Philip tried to explain…he really did! He knew the beetles would get through the outer wall within ten minutes. But there was a way- he told them- the only solution- the whole city was at risk, not just the life of one girl.

Connor sounded defeated and disappointed in Philip, as he quietly asked him to explain what it was. Philip _had_ to make them see- understand! He had to activate the auto- destruct programme which had been built into the ARC's operating system, even though everything and everyone in it would be incinerated.

The shocked silence at the other end of the phone said it all. Why couldn't they see! It was for the greater good- it had to be done! He was sorry, but he had no other option. As he reached out towards the self destruct button, the phone rang once again.

"Connor…" said Philip

Connor practically begged Philip to wait- he had a plan! The trouble was, as Philip saw it, that he always had a plan and his plans weren't always successful! Connor pleaded with Philip to give him just one more minute. As if that would make a difference, Philip thought to himself. "All the homes, schools, hospitals- everywhere would be infected" he said sorrowfully to Connor

Connor interrupted him once again "If they get into New Dawn, you mean! Please, Philip. Just thirty seconds more"

Philip didn't bother to answer him and as the phone once more went dead, he pressed the red circle on the computer screen to activate the self destruct, and run the incineration programme. He stood there with April watching the computers, knowing that he'd left Connor and the rest of the ARC team to die. They didn't stand a chance. As he stood thinking, April suddenly announced…

"They did it! They destroyed the beetles!"

Philip hadn't been able to believe it! Connor had done it again! The boy really was a genius. Philip immediately got April to lift lockdown, relieved it hadn't ended badly after all, and he could get the rest of the data feed he needed…..

_*flashback end*_

The building around him shuddered and shook violently, and Philip shook his head, trying to clear it from that never ending robotic chant that seemed to echo deep down into his very being. He realised now, sorrowfully that at the time he hadn't even spared a thought about the guard he'd left with Connor- or even asked about how Jess was. He didn't even know if she died! He's been so focussed on New Dawn that his humanity had deserted him altogether. His actions had been so natural, so…right at the time- but now Philip knew in his heart, now that he was about to die, that it had been so wrong.

That had been the first time he'd left Connor Temple to die…

To Be Continued….


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else._

_Set during Series 5 Episode 6- Realisation hits Philip- New Dawn will destroy the world. Philip locks himself in the lab to try a last minute attempt to stop it from happening._

**Guilt!**

The Three Times Philip left Connor to die…

**Chapter Three-** Convergence

_**Previously:**_ _The building around him shuddered and shook violently, and Philip shook his head, trying to clear it from that never ending robotic chant that seemed to echo deep down into his very being. He realised now, sorrowfully that at the time he hadn't even spared a thought about the guard he'd left with Connor- or even asked about how Jess was. He didn't even know if she died! He's been so focussed on New Dawn that his humanity had deserted him altogether. His actions had been so natural, so…right at the time- but now Philip knew in his heart, now that he was about to die, that it had been so wrong._

"_emergency…emergency…"_ repeated the metallic computer voice, continuing its constant reminder that his time drew nearer…his time to die! Sparks of electricity and alarm lights flashed on and off around him.

'Not long now' he thought. He moved towards the computers getting ready to activate the self destruct. He was terribly afraid, and felt so alone. 'Was this how Connor had felt,' he wondered, 'when I left him alone to die?' Once was bad enough, but Philip now remembered a second time he'd deserted Connor. If only Philip had been able to trust him more! If he'd had more time, he could have got Connor to understand- to be on his side instead of being poisoned against him by Matt. He wouldn't have had to… But no! Philip shook his head as if to clear it- Matt had been right in the end. All Philip had to do was look around him at the effects of New Dawn. Connor had been right! Why hadn't _he_ listened! Why had he taken Helen's words above Connor's? The boy was a genius- there was no doubt about that. He'd broken the lockdown and saved Philip that time; made the first man-made anomaly and to top it all, he'd worked out about the convergence!

Philip remembered how concerned and annoyed he'd been when Connor came running to the car park to tell him his theory. Philip had tried to stay calm, and hustled him into his car, not even knowing what he was going to do to stop any further interference. Philip hung his head in shame as he remembered he'd thought for a minute…just one minute…. that he'd get rid of Connor permanently or even hold him prisoner and force him to do his work.

But he knew he needed Connor, and fortunately as they drove off, Philip thought quickly and decided his only course of action was to convince Connor his theory wasn't worth pursuing, and to get him to concentrate on New Dawn. The convergence was part of New Dawn, and its existence couldn't be compromised! Connor's interference could have ruined everything- he wished now that it had!

He tried to excuse his actions in his mind- after all; Helen had been so convincing, so persuasive that it was for the good of the world, whereas Connor was always so unsure of himself, and so…well just plain annoying! He was so childlike, and followed Philip everywhere like a puppy, believing every word he uttered. Philip actually felt tears come to his eyes- he never cried! This powerful, renowned scientist crying over a boy he'd treated badly. How stupid was that!

But he had just remembered the second time he left Connor Temple to die…

_*Flashback*_

Philip entered Lester's office to find all the core team were there. Connor stood in the front of Lester's desk, looking for all intents and purposes like a naughty schoolboy, sent to the headmaster's office. It went quiet as Philip walked in. Had they been talking about him, or were they just surprised by the sudden sound of the door opening? He looked at the faces of the people sitting or standing around. Connor nodded to him, but looked a bit flushed and very nervous.

"This is awkward" Philip said, filling the silence, as everyone looked at each other.

Lester broke the silence by ushering them all out of his office, and as he began talking Philip thought it could have possibly been a normal briefing session, but he still felt slightly uneasy. Lester, who Philip always though had a problem with him being in the ARC at all although he always tried to hide it, suddenly received a phone call. Lester threw the phone at Philip without warning and announced…

"The secret's out!" Anomalies were opening everywhere- Philip was overjoyed! This was it! The convergence had arrived, and New Dawn was ready! The day when he- Philip Burton- changed history! As he left Lester's room, he saw the ARC team standing around the ADD, watching the monitors in horror. He approached Connor, and told him they needed to get to the Power Station immediately, but Connor interrupted him and said there was a problem with the prototype. Philip couldn't have anything going wrong today, so he rushed off with Connor to check the machine. He found the problem in minutes- really what was wrong with the boy? It hadn't been difficult to fix- well, maybe he was just as nervous as Philip…this was a special day!

Connor went to get his belongings and Philip said he'd meet him in the underground car park. As Philip impatiently waited, - really if he didn't know better he'd have thought Connor was waylaying him on purpose- the car park became a hive of activity as soldiers and ARC personnel all started to get their cars out to help at the anomalies. Connor finally arrived, and Philip had been eager to get off- there was only a short time, and he needed to activate New Dawn. Connor again stopped him by asking about the convergence. To Philip's credit, he did feel slightly ashamed as he finally admitted to Connor that he'd been right all along…only slightly though…it had been necessary for the good of the world! He tried to explain to Connor, to cajole and flatter him as he tried to explain why he'd lied…

"I couldn't support your theory, Connor" he said "If I had, you'd have become distracted, working on contingency plans for the ARC!"

Connor seemed distraught- "Exactly!" he said "Now we're not ready and people are going to die!"

Philip tried again "Wrong! We are ready! New Dawn is ready! It needed to be finished on time, and it is. I needed to keep you focussed"

Philip's car was blocked in and so he told Connor they'd go to the Power Station in Connor's instead, and Philip and Connor slowly drove on their way, weaving in and out of cars as they went- too slowly for Philip's liking! There was a total jam on the roads- it was absolute mayhem, but luckily Philip knew a shortcut that not many people knew about and directed Connor to go that way, bypassing the traffic. He was going to get there on time- he just had to! They quickly reached Stanley Street Car Park, and were driving through, when there in front of them was a bright sparkling anomaly! 'No!' thought Philip 'was anything else going to hold him up today!'

Suddenly a creature came bounding out in front of them, roaring at them. It bellowed and looked ready to attack. It stamped its feet, and without warning began to thunder towards them as fast as it could. Connor tried to manoeuvre the car, but there was no possibility of bypassing the creature, and it hit them head on, smashing the windscreen on impact and rolling the car over and over, with it finally coming to land upside down. There was silence for a few moments. The creature had continued forward with the speed of its stampede and disappeared from sight. Philip stretched his aching limbs, and slowly stood up. Fortunately, he'd been thrown clear of the car. He walked slowly around to the driver's side where Connor lay unmoving- still inside the wrecked car.

"Hey?" said Philip, peering in at Connor. Connor groaned. "You hurt?" asked Philip.

"Ow! I think…I think I'm alright" Connor managed to say

"What was that?" asked Philip, looking around in fear of the creature returning

"Caprasucus. Philip- my leg's stuck- but there's a crowbar in the boot"

"No…we don't have time. I'll send someone to help…" Philip said, more concerned with losing the chance to activate New Dawn than leaving Connor trapped and alone with a dinosaur on the loose.

Connor looked at Philip, horrified. "You…you're going to leave me here?" he said, his voice going up an octave, he just couldn't believe his hero would…could do such a thing, forgetting for a moment in his panic that Philip had done just that not so long ago.

"The convergence won't last long, Connor. I'm sorry- you know I really am" Philip had no thoughts except getting back to New Dawn. Connor had served his purpose and if he had to leave him there at the mercy of some…animal, so be it!

Philip stood up and started to walk away, but Connor called after him, desperately trying to get him to see...

"Philip! The machine doesn't save the world- it destroys it!"

Philip turned back. "Well, you know that's not true because you helped design it!" he said.

Connor tried as hard as he could to get Philip to understand. He started to warn Philip what Matt had said- what he'd seen- how he'd lived, and that he was from the future! Philip looked like he either didn't believe Connor, or thought he'd gone mad, and just shook his head at him. Suddenly Connor pulled out an EMD from the wrecked car and pointed it straight at Philip. Philip was incredulous, but he was so blinkered by his 'mission' that nothing else seemed to matter. He laughed at Connor, taunted him…

"You have no idea how ridiculous you look right now" he said. Connor couldn't believe that this man- this brilliant man would do this to him. He'd trusted him-looked up to him, and he threw it all back in his face. Abby had been right all along, and Connor had let her down as much as Philip had let him down. Even so, there was still a little bit of Connor that couldn't quite believe what he was seeing- hearing and he tried one last time...

"See, I know that you think you're doing the right thing" he said "But you couldn't be more wrong." Philip just shook his head at him, eager to be off. "New Dawn kills everything!"

Philip had had enough of this nonsense, and stood up to go

"You haven't given me a choice!" cried Connor, desperately. To Philip's surprise, he actually pulled the trigger. Not once but several times. As Philip stood there, smiling slightly, but seething inside at the audacity of the boy- he dared fire the EMD at him…Philip Burton! But Philip didn't go down. In fact he wasn't even hurt, the gun didn't fire. Philip held up the bullet charge he had removed from the gun.

"You see, Connor" Philip said, as Connor collapsed back down on his back "I never entirely trusted you!" Philip put the bullet down on the ground, just far enough away so that Connor couldn't quite reach it. As the creature roared in the distance, Philip smiled and turned and walked away to the cries resonating behind him…

"Philip! Don't do this, please! Philip!"…

_*flashback end*_

Back in the dying embers of New Dawn, Philip actually cried. Tears of grief rolled down his cheeks as he wondered what kind of a person he had become. He'd just left Connor trapped without any chance of help coming; he'd had no intentions of sending back help. In his mind, Philip could still hear Connor calling his name. He deserved to die. He pushed another button slowly. He had told Matt that he was the 'bad guy.' Right now thinking of the second time he left Connor Temple to die, he knew that he truly was….

To Be Continued…..


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Primeval and all its characters belong to someone else._

_Set during Series 5 Episode 6- Realisation hits Philip- New Dawn will destroy the world. Philip locks himself in the lab to try a last minute attempt to stop it from happening._

**Guilt!**

The Three Times Philip left Connor to die…

**Chapter Four-** The Future

_**Previously:** Back in the dying embers of New Dawn, Philip actually cried. Tears of grief rolled down his cheeks as he wondered what kind of a person he had become. He'd just left Connor trapped without any chance of help coming; he'd had no intentions of sending back help. In his mind, Philip could still hear Connor calling his name. He deserved to die. He pushed another button slowly. He had told Matt that he was the 'bad guy.' Right now thinking of the second time he left Connor Temple to die, he knew that he truly was…_

Philip's whole body started to shake, partly from his guilty memories, partly from fear at what he was about to do. He'd told Matt it was the right thing to do- it_ had_ seemed the right thing to do- to 'go down with the ship' as it were. It just wasn't easy pressing the last button that would end his life. He'd once told Connor that when it came down to just one life or the life of thousands, then that was the sacrifice you had to make. Although at the time, his thoughts had really been on New Dawn, and he hadn't really believed his own words, he could see now that it was true. His life for the life of everyone on the planet. He had to do it- had to sacrifice himself, if he could just find the nerve to do it. Connor had nearly sacrificed himself to save everyone, he thought, although falling through the anomaly hadn't been part of the plan he was sure…

_*Flashback*_

Philip had left Connor alone, trapped in the car and just erased him from his mind as he hurried back to New Dawn Headquarters. April was there to greet him...

"I've done the system analysis checks" she said, smiling at him. She was dressed in black and he remembered thinking how striking she looked with her blonde hair in contrast.

"Well done!" he replied "We have to do this during convergence!"

"_start up sequence commencing…"_ the computer announced.

A guard came forward and whispered something to April, who said she'd be right there. She turned to Philip, a frown on her face,

"Philip" she explained "Two of those ARC people have somehow got into the building! But its OK- the security guards have them safely in custody"

"Have them removed from the building- by force if necessary" responded Philip. He turned back to the computer screens…

"_8 minutes to initiation…" _the countdown continued as April returned to Philip, nodding that Matt and Emily had been sent away. Suddenly an alarm rang out. April and Philip looked at each other in consternation

"Who's operating the satellite terminal?" he asked as the computer voice rang out…

"_30 seconds to shutdown…"_

"It..it's Connor!" said April in amazement

Philip was furious- far from being pleased that Connor had managed to get out of the car, and hadn't become dinosaur fodder, he needed that interfering boy stopped from destroying his plans- his dreams! He had to be stopped. "Get him down from there!" he snapped

April left the room to get the guards to stop Connor. As she left, Philip typed furiously on the computer keyboard and using all of his expertise, managed to lock Connor out of the computers. He couldn't understand why Connor was doing all this- he had been so excited by the prospect of New Dawn. It was all the fault of that 'grunt' Matt- poisoning his mind against Philip. And now, he had this very clever genius to combat on the scientific front. But he could beat Connor, he knew. He had more experience than Connor, and Connor tended to think slower than Philip did- he always got a bit flustered under pressure. Philip had learnt through the years how to 'think on his feet' and put all of his experience into forestalling Connor at every turn.

"_initiation reactivated…" _he'd done it! He'd stopped Connor- for now, at least. Where were those guards! _"start up sequence commencing…" _Philip continued pressing buttons as the initiation process restarted firing up. He was really on his way now, and nothing could stop him! The power went to his head as adrenalin kicked in and made him feel almost invincible.

Suddenly from nowhere Matt appeared with an EMD in his hand. Philip couldn't believe it! They were coming at him from all sides! He would complete the sequence- he had to.

"Shut it down" demanded Matt

"You've got it all wrong, Matt" Philip said

"You two, move…move!" he yelled to two scientists- who deserted Philip and immediately left the room at Matt's command. "Shut it down NOW!" he yelled

"Have you seen outside?" Philip said, motioning with his hands

"Shut it down now!" repeated Matt

"Its chaos. This machine will stop all that!" He had to make Matt see. Why couldn't these people see Helen's vision as clearly as he could! First Connor, now Matt- what was it with these people! He was going to save the world- give them free energy- what more do they want!

Matt started rambling on, just like Connor had about New dawn destroying the world. How Matt had seen it for himself. Philip began to think it was all a plan for them to 'get in on the act'- maybe they wanted to steal his idea! That must be it; they wanted to take the credit for themselves! The thought disappeared from Philip's mind almost as soon as it had entered as Matt suddenly advanced upon him menacingly

"What are you going to do, kill me?" Philip said, bravely standing up to the man. He was a scientist, not a fighter.

"Yeah, if I have to" Matt said. They were face to face now. Philip felt afraid, but didn't back down- New Dawn was his, and it was too important to let some soldier and a boy stand in his way…

"I don't believe you" Philip said. With that, Matt punched him in the stomach. Philip was a tall man, but he was by no means the strongest, and he doubled over, the wind having been knocked out of him. He coughed in pain as the computer voice stated...

"_power to the main turbine disrupted…"_

No! Connor had managed to hack in again whilst Matt had been throwing his weight around. Finally, security guards appeared and grabbed Matt. Philip painfully turned back to the computers, bent over with the pain from Matt's blow. Matt started screaming at him, trying to get him to stop. Philip easily locked Connor out of the computers again, the voice reassuring him…

"_3 minutes to initiation…"_

"It's working!" cried Philip in glee, all pain forgotten.

"NO!" cried Matt, struggling against the guards holding him

Philip felt back in control- he had the upper hand again. "The only problem is you believe the world will be destroyed when I switch this machine on. And I believe it will be destroyed if I don't"

Matt tried to convince Philip he was wrong, but Philip wouldn't listen to anything he said. If he wouldn't listen to Connor who had worked so closely with him, what chance did Matt have?

"_power to the main turbine disrupted…"_ the computer stated. Philip didn't turn a hair! He could see Connor standing on the machine, and guessed what he had just done- reversing the accelerator coil, but Philip was prepared, and turned back to the screens.

"Only one of us can be right…" he calmly said, and with a feeling of elation pressed the red button on the console.

"_auxiliary power activated…"_

"You think I didn't anticipate Connor!" Philip said, angrily, as the machine started up again, and a huge anomaly opened behind Connor. Philip could see Connor's face through the glass, and saw the expression of fear and horror as he fell back through the floating sparkles into a land beyond. He ignored the look on Connor's face- he had done it! He had created New Dawn, and solved the world's energy problems. Sacrifices had to be made to ensure success. It was for the greater good.

"Cheer up, Matt, everything's fine. Its working" Philip pointed to the screens, smiling, and happy "Isn't it the most beautiful thing you ever saw in your life?"

"We have to go after Connor, Philip- at least let me go after him!" Matt pleaded

"No one is going after Connor until this anomaly is stable!" Philip replied, fiddling with the controls at the console

"You can't control this- you have to listen to me!"

Philip finally snapped. He'd had enough! "NO! You listen to me! This machine is already generating more power than the entire national grid, and this is only the beginning!" Philip changed from angry to excited in a moment!

"Did you ever even care about him? That kid worshipped you!"

Philip moved closer to Matt, something gnawing away inside him- was it shame? Guilt? He brushed the feeling away "Of course I cared for him. And if he is dead…" his heart started racing at the thought –was he really responsible for the boy's death? He pushed it aside and continued "And if he is dead, it'll be your fault. Because he wouldn't even have been up there had you not poisoned him against me!"

He ordered the guards to take Matt away, and ignoring all further thought of Connor, he stood in the room, watching the readings, smiling at his achievement. Suddenly one of the scientists ran to Philip with some data-

"It's growing too quickly!"

Philip looked at the results in horror- they couldn't be right. The room suddenly went dark, and the alarms rang out. A red warning light flashed off and on. He tried to placate the scientist by saying he'd expected this to happen, but he didn't really know what was wrong. He pressed the keys on the computers frantically, trying to rectify the problem, when the guards brought Emily in. He couldn't believe it! Would these people ever give up? He made the guards take her away- he didn't have time for this, something was going wrong!

"_malfunction….emergency…anomaly expanding…" _the voice droned on, calm against the background of alarms and people scurrying from the room as fast as they could

"Stop! I need you!" cried Philip, but they had all deserted him. He was alone in the dark room, shelving falling down around him

"_anomaly reactor offline…. Emergency…emergency….emergency"_

He turned and ran from the building, looking at the sky in horror! He sat on the stairs, head in hands. He couldn't believe it- Matt had been right! But it couldn't be true! No! It just couldn't be true….

Just then he heard a voice he never thought he'd hear again!

"Philip!"

"Connor! You're alive!" Philip cried. He was truly glad to see him! That boy must have nine lives he thought. And that was when they confronted him. Connor and Abby, and told him that he had been manipulated by Helen. He couldn't deny it now. But why? Why? He couldn't understand it. There was only one way this could be stopped, he realised…..

_*flashback end*_

And that was how he had ended up in this lab alone ready to die. He'd told Matt to leave him to activate the self destruct. It was the only way. After everything he had done, it was the only way he could gain back his humanity- even if it was only for a few moments before he died. He thought about Connor and how he had deserted the young man when he left him to die- the third time he had left Connor Temple to die, and hadn't even blinked an eye!

At least he had sent those emails, he thought. He's sent two emails- one to the Minister and one to Connor. They both said the same thing:-

_I, Philip Burton, being of sound mind, at the moment of my death leave all my money and assets from Prospero and personal money and assets to the ARC so that they may continue their work with the anomalies. The exceptions to this are that:-_

_Abby Maitland be given £100,000 to use in her capacity as manager of the menagerie and in the care of the creatures therein._

_I also bequeath Connor Temple the sum of £500 000 to use as he pleases, with my thoughts and regards to him, in the hopes he will settle down if he so wishes with the woman he chooses and can afford to buy the home of his dreams and live long and happily. I also leave him all my records and files of my scientific experiments, and full use of the equipment and laboratories in Prospero._

_I beg him to have it in his heart to forgive a stupid egotistical man who should have known better, and cherished the decent people around him. I am proud to call Connor Temple a good and true friend- I hope he feels the same._

_This is my final wish_

He picked up the silver laptop and pressed the final key that activated the self destruct. He slowly closed it again and placed it carefully on the table. As he stood in the room, awaiting his death he heard two sets of words being spoken by two different voices in his head, and prayed his wrong doings would be forgiven as he repented…

"_self destruction sequence initiated" _ said the metallic voice

"_you will find a way…"_ said Helen's voice

"_5 seconds to self destruct…"_

"_Our hopes rest on you"_

"_3 seconds to self destruct…"_

"_our future is in your hands…"_

"_1 second to self destruct"_

"_I have no doubt you will do it"_

…

THE END


End file.
